Monday, June 13, 2016

Recent calls for children to use full strength fluoride toothpaste have been criticised by a fringe group calling itself the Fluoride Information Network for Dentists.

Making Sense of Fluoride president Daniel Ryan says media and the public need to be aware the so-called network run by anti-fluoride dentist Stan Litras has a minimal membership and does not represent the overwhelming scientific consensus on fluoride nor the position of the vast majority of his New Zealand colleagues.

The New Zealand Dental Association has a clear position supporting water fluoridation and fluoride toothpaste, and while the Dental Council allows individuals to express their own opinions, its code of ethics requires practitioners to clearly state when their opinion is contrary to that of their colleagues.

“Litras is associated with Fluoride Free New Zealand and encourages media and the public to accept his dubious statements,” says Ryan, who urges news editors to use reliable sources on fluoride rather than publicising Litras’s claims.

Ryan reiterates that the call for full strength toothpaste for children is based on sound evidence that follows Ministry of Health guidelines, which in turn echo a recent move by the American Dental Health Association to urge parents to use full-strength fluoride toothpaste as soon as their babies’ teeth come through to help prevent tooth decay.

“Tooth decay is the most prevalent health disease affecting children,’ says Ryan. “And yet it’s totally preventable when kids and their parents get reliable dental health information - including advice to brush with full strength fluoride toothpaste,“ he adds.